


I Must Get My Soul Back From You (Unless You Want It)

by Fangirl_on_fire



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Grim Reaper Keith, Happy Ending, Heaven, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Reunion, Romance, Underworld, keith is done with him, lance messes up, the afterlife is really confusing, the bonding moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 03:50:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13989864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_on_fire/pseuds/Fangirl_on_fire
Summary: A figure was standing there in a black cloak, black enough that it was a void. Their whole body was covered. Except for their hand.Their right hand was holding a scythe.The first thing Lance said was, “This is such a cliché. Is that seriously a scythe?”-In which Lance accidentally ends up in the Ancient Greek Underworld, and Keith is the poor Grim Reaper that has to fix his mistake.





	I Must Get My Soul Back From You (Unless You Want It)

Mist. Darkness. Shadows.

A river curled around the base of the surrounding mountain range like a sleeping dragon. It was green.

The river was green and murky and smelled like death.

The shore was brown and dirty. Hard, wet mud covered in flecks of the green water.

Lance stared at the river. Was he supposed to swim across it alone? The river was wide and deep, and he didn’t know how to get to the other side without swimming through it. And he really didn’t want to do that.

He couldn’t see anything in the distance. Only the river, as far as he could see. Maybe a hint of a gate.

Then, he felt a presence behind him.

He turned to look.

A figure was standing there in a black cloak, black enough that it was a void. The absence of anything. It looked like the figure was wearing a black hole. Their face was covered. Their whole body was covered. Except for their hand.

Their right hand was holding a scythe.

The first thing Lance said was, “This is such a cliché. Is that seriously a scythe?”

The figure didn’t react. The mist was swirling around their feet.

“How am I supposed to get to the other side?” Lance asked. “Or are you just going to stay quiet the whole time?”

The figure didn’t say anything, but they walked forward to stand at the edge of the river. It was more of a glide rather than a walk. They seemed to float across the ground.

“Are you going to ignore me?”

The figure turned to look at Lance.

Lance sighed. “I can’t believe this. I’m seeing an actual Grim Reaper here, and he’s ignoring me.”

The figure turned back to gaze across the river.

“Hello? I know you have an image to maintain and all, but I want to get to my afterlife. What are we waiting for?”

_religion?_

Lance was confused. “What? Did you say something?”

The figure turned to Lance. Their fingers had tightened around the scythe. _your religion?_

“I’m Catholic,” Lance said, “but not very religious. Why?”

The figure made a strange noise. It sounded frustrated. _you’re in completely the wrong place!_

The figure’s voice was human. In fact, it was an attractive voice. Hot, even. Lance found himself blushing.

Then, their hand was on his cheek. Lance jerked back automatically.

The figure recoiled as well. _i’m sorry! i just- i didn’t know you could still blush, and i- sorry. oh._

Lance crossed his arms, willing his face to stop being so red. “Man, you can’t just touch my face like that.”

_i’m sorry, i was surprised!_

“It’s fine,” Lance said, coughing a little. “What was that you were saying about being in the wrong place?”

 _oh, that._ The figure sounded irritated again. _you’re supposed to be in heaven, and you’re in the underworld right now! how the hell did you get here?_

“I didn’t know the Grim Reaper swore.”

The figure seemed to have lost his solemn demeanor, and now they were acting like an annoyed teenager. It was vaguely amusing. _i’m not- never mind. humans are so simple minded._

“Hey!” Lance was indignant. “I’m not simple minded!”

_quiet. let me figure out how to get you out of here._

“How hard can it be?” Lance asked, glancing over at the direction he had come in. There was a line of people waiting there, if they could still be called people. They were deathly pale and paper thin, and the mist was enveloping them. Drawing them into its clutches. Lance shivered.

_very hard._

Lance snickered. “That’s what she said.”

The figure’s head tilted to the side, sending ripples through the cloak. _what?_

“Never mind. Wait, so am I stuck here?” A sudden fear struck Lance. “I can’t be stuck here! I don’t even believe in the underworld!”

The figure sighed. _you shouldn’t have to be dealing with this. how did you even get here, anyway?_

Lance thought for a moment. He didn’t remember much of his journey here. The strongest thing in his memory was a blinding light and a scream, and that was… before.

_well? we don’t have all day. i do have other people to deal with, you know._

Lance smirked and stretched his arms up above his head. “But I’m your favorite, right?” True, it was somewhat pathetic, stooping to the level of flirting with Death, in a literal sense. But Death had an attractive voice and a mysterious charisma and Lance hadn’t flirted with anyone in over a year.

And now he never would again.

_stop asking so many questions and tell me what you remember._

“I don’t remember much.”

_anything at all?_

Lance racked his brain for anything at all other than the bright light. “When I- I just woke up in this place that looked kind of like a train station, and then…” It was almost painful trying to remember. His mind clearly didn’t want him to. “And then…” He let out a frustrated groan.

_calm down. let your mind rest, then we’ll try again. that place that looked like a train station, that’s where you were supposed to wake up, though i have no idea how you went wrong from there. didn’t someone come pick you up? a family member, a friend?_

Lance felt cold. It was as if a bag of ice cubes was poured into his blood. “What?”

_usually a family member or a friend meets you there. don’t you have anybody?_

Lance’s legs gave beneath him and he collapsed. The words were echoing through his mind, skimming over his skin, swimming in front of his eyes. His eyes were masked by a haze, and he couldn’t tell if it was the mist drawing him into its clutches or just his own mind falling into despair.

Don’t you have anybody.

Don’t you have anybody.

Don’t you have anybody.

Don’t you have-

_are you okay?_

Lance didn’t reply. His mouth was dry, parched, like a drought in a desolate desert. He couldn’t speak. Nothing would come out of his mouth except those words, and they tasted bitter in his mouth. Painful, like poison. They stung his mouth.

_lance?_

Lance jumped to his feet and stared at the figure. “How do you know my name?”

_i just do. i can tell your name just by looking at you. i can see your memories._

“That’s really creepy,” Lance said, stepping closer. “Can you really see my memories?”

Now that he was standing closer to the figure, he could see that the figure was approximately the same height as him. It was an amusing thought – he was the same height as Death.

_you don’t have friends or family?_

“All my family members are alive, except for my great grandparents,” Lance said, “and I do have some living distant relatives, but I never met them, so they obviously don’t care about me.”

_friends?_

“Alive,” Lance said. “I only have two friends, anyway.”

_no one close to you is dead?_

“Why are you obsessed with this?” Lance said loudly, making the pale spirits behind him turn around.

_it’s just confusing._

“I’m eighteen! Of course no one close to me is dead!” Lance blurted out the words, and once they left his mouth it was as if a weight had been tossed onto his shoulders. To his horror, tears pricked the corners of his eyes. Embarrassed, he turned away. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be crying in front of the Grim Reaper.

_please tell me you’re not crying._

Lance sniffed. “I just have some dust in my eyes.”

 _you are. oh, i don’t know how to deal with this. i can’t deal with crying humans_.

“You’re so weird,” Lance said, sniffing again and wiping away his tears. “Have you ever even spoken to a human before?”

_of course i have! i’ve just never spoken to a christian human that ended up in the ancient greek underworld._

“I’m not religious,” Lance pointed out, hoping his eyes weren’t still red. “It’s just a label. I’ve never even been to church.”

_but you do want to go to heaven, right? the christian afterlife? you know, pearly gates and all?_

Lance stared at them. “That actually exists?”

_all afterlives exist. imagine the afterlife as another world. there are many countries within that world, and each ‘country’ would be a separate religion’s afterlife._

“So, you’re basically afterlife PR?”

The Grim Reaper considered the question. _well, yes._

“Cool. So, how are we getting to Heaven?”

_first, we need to convince them to let you out of here and to that train station place. it’s called the hub, by the way. wait, no, they’ll never allow you back there. we’ll have to go down the back path that leads directly to the- yeah, that’ll do._

That was interesting. Lance had never imagined that the afterlife would be this complex. To be honest, he had never truly believed in an afterlife, and it was a huge surprise to him that not only was there an afterlife, there were many. How was this all organized, anyway? Was it like all the afterlives were in the same world, or were they in different dimensions? Was it all in one astral plane, or was it spread out across different universes? And what if someone believed in an afterlife that wasn’t a part of their religion – what would happen then?

_you would go to the afterlife of what you believe in._

“What the fuck?” Lance spun around to glare at the Grim Reaper. “You can read my mind? Wait, have you been reading it the whole time?”

_i already told you that._

“No, you only said you could see my memories! You didn’t mention you can read my thoughts!”

The Grim Reaper moved backwards a little, clearly uncomfortable. _i can’t help it, your thoughts just kind of rush towards me!_

“Stop it!” Lance was fuming. “That’s really fucking weird. Get out of my head.”

_if it makes you feel better, i’m not judging you._

“Just stop.” Lance huffed and crossed his arms. Who did the Grim Reaper think he was, invading Lance’s privacy like this? “Just get me to Heaven.”

_wow, rude._

In spite of himself, Lance burst out laughing. The Grim Reaper sounded like an angsty emo teenager working at Target who had just been chewed out by a suburban soccer mom driving a rusty corolla.

_i do not!_

“I thought I told you to stay out of my head!”

_i can do what i want._

“You know what, forget it!” Lance was truly angry now. He had just died and went to the underworld and now it turned out that the Grim Reaper was a huge asshole. “I’ll get to Heaven myself. Enjoy the rest of your pathetic, miserable life slaving after us so-called simple-minded humans.” Without waiting to see his reaction, Lance stormed away.

A strong hand on his shoulder stopped him, digging their fingers into his bones.

Lance let out a noise of pain and tried to pull away.

_this isn’t a playground. i have a job to do and you’re not going to stop me from doing it._

“Fuck you,” Lance spit, pushing the Grim Reaper’s hand off his shoulder. “Don’t touch me.”

If the Grim Reaper’s cloak wasn’t obscuring his eyes, Lance was sure his glare would be a laser beam cutting into Lance’s skull. Anger was radiating off him in a tangible energy wave. His previously calm aura was now a vivid red. _careful. you can still end up in hell._ His voice was trembling with fury.

Lance found a sick satisfaction in the fact that he had provoked such an emotional reaction. His lips twisted into a sneer. “Got yourself worked up?”

The Grim Reaper inhaled sharply, and the scythe in his hand glinted. _you know what, you’re right. you can do this on your own._ With that, he turned and stalked away.

Lance was relieved for a moment, and then he stared at the retreating back of the Grim Reaper in horror.

He was trapped in the underworld.

Alone.

For eternity.

Instantly, he ran after the Grim Reaper. “Wait!”

The Grim Reaper didn’t stop walking and didn’t face Lance. _what do you want?_

“You can’t just leave me,” Lance said, unwilling to apologize. It was hard enough on his pride to have to beg the Grim Reaper to help him – he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to apologize.

_i’m busy. you’re going to have to deal without me._

Screw his pride. “I’m sorry.”

The Grim Reaper stopped. _what?_

Lance swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. Please help me.”

There was a pause.

“Please.”

Another pause.

Then-

_okay._

Lance sighed in relief. “Thank you.”

The Grim Reaper finally turned around to face Lance. _don’t thank me, it’s just my job._

Lance was surprised. Didn’t he deserve thanks anyway? Just because something was someone’s job, it didn’t mean that they didn’t deserve appreciation. “Still. Thank you.”

_come with me._

Lance followed the Grim Reaper back down the direction they had come in, and down a side path. It was a thin corridor, with tall walls on either side, and it was a large contrast from the wide-open area surrounding the river.

“Hey, was that the river Styx?”

_yes._

“…Are you still angry with me?”

_are you not?_

Lance shrugged. “Yeah, but I figured it’s really idiotic to antagonize Death.”

_fair point._

“By the way, is your name Death?”

At that, the Grim Reaper stopped walking and Lance crashed into him. The cloak was soft and felt like silk, and Lance’s hand accidentally brushed against the Grim Reaper’s. Immediately, he moved back, already blushing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

_don’t worry about it._

This was awkward.

It was already awkward enough, and it just became more awkward after that little incident. Partially out of curiosity and partially as an attempt to diffuse the tension, Lance asked, “So, is your name Death?”

The Grim Reaper hesitated. _no._

Lance was startled. Death’s name wasn’t even Death? It was a strange concept to understand. If it wasn’t Death, what was it? And who chose it? An image of the Grim Reaper as a baby, cradled by a helpless mother, popped into Lance’s head. “What is your name, then?”

A pause.

Another pause.

Silence.

“Well?”

_keith._

“What?”

_it’s- it’s keith. my name is keith._

Lance couldn’t help it – he immediately started laughing. He laughed so hard, his stomach started hurting and his sides ached, but he couldn’t stop. After a minute, he fell to the floor, still laughing hysterically.

The Grim Reaper crossed his arms, nearly dropping his scythe. _what are you laughing at?_

“Your name is Keith,” Lance sputtered, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. He could barely get the words out – he probably looked like a dying seal, because he had moved to that stage of laughter where you’re just laughing and clapping silently because you’re out of laughter.

“The- The Grim Reaper, Death, the most terrifying entity in existence, the thing everyone dreads, the destroyer of worlds, taker of lives – and his name is Keith!” This statement only served to restart Lance’s laughter, and they had to wait several minutes before Lance composed himself.

The Grim Reaper’s arms were still crossed. _and what’s wrong with keith?_

“It’s just so human,” Lance protested, “It’s such a basic, ordinary name!”

 _i think it’s a great name._ The Grim Reaper – Keith tilted his head up defiantly. The cloak still covered his face, and Lance wished he could see his facial expression.

“That’s because it’s your name!”

_excuse you, it’s not just because it’s my name. keith is a great name._

Lance just shook his head.

_okay, i’m glad you’re still on the ground laughing at me, but can we move on now?_

To Lance’s surprise, Keith extended a hand from beneath his cloak to offer it to Lance. Lance took his hand and pulled himself up. It was cold.

“Your hand is cold,” Lance complained, but he didn’t let go of Keith’s hand. He needed the comfort.

They continued on, with Lance walking and Keith gliding, until they reached a gate. This gate wasn’t as large or ornate as the gates Lance had seen in the distance at the end of the river Styx. In fact, it looked like an ordinary garden gate.

Standing next to it was a pretty young girl who looked only a few years older than Lance. She was wearing a white, almost translucent dress that reached her ankles, and lace gloves. Her hair was loose, and it floated around her head as if she was underwater. Her eyes were hollow and haunting. Whenever Keith spoke, it wasn’t as if Lance was hearing the words, rather the words were materializing in his head. But when this girl spoke, the words came out of her mouth like an ordinary human. “What do you need?”

_this guy is in the wrong place. we need to get to christian heaven._

The girl exhaled heavily and looked upwards, as if looking to God. “That’s going to be hard.”

“I can tell you something else that’s hard,” Lance interjected.

The girl just looked at him blankly.

“Oh, come on! Does no one here understand innuendos?”

Surprisingly, Keith snorted. Lance stared at him in surprise.

The girl looked bored. “Another one, Keith?”

_shut up._

The girl looked at Lance. “How long have you been here?”

Keith replied on his behalf. _just under a day._

“What do you mean by another one?” Lance asked.

_she means nothing, ignore her. nyma, just let us through._

The girl, however, ignored Keith. “I mean-”

This time, when Keith spoke, the words exploded in Lance’s head and he groaned, clutching his head in pain. Clearly, Keith was angry. _i told you to stop!_

Then, Keith turned to Lance. _sorry, i didn’t mean to do that. is your head okay?_ His tone was uncharacteristically anxious and concerned, like a worried partner.

“I’m fine,” Lance said, though his head was throbbing. A horrible pressure had built up in his head.

 _you’re not. hold still._ Before Lance had a chance to reply, Keith stepped closer and dropped his scythe on the ground. It made a loud clanging noise.

Slowly, Keith reached out to cup Lance’s cheeks in his cold hands. Lance stiffened and closed his eyes. Keith’s fingers were long and bony, and Lance knew that Keith could easily crush Lance’s bones if he wanted to.

But he didn’t.

It was a strangely tender moment. It was an abstract thought – Lance was in the hands of Death. Yet Death was gentle and quiet. And Lance had no more fear. He wasn’t scared of Death anymore if this was what Death was like. Gentle hands on his cheeks and the pain slowly ebbing away in his head, leaving him painless and numb. No, not numb.

Because he could feel something fluttering in his heart.

Lance opened his eyes and Keith stepped back, turning to the girl again. _are you going to let us in or are we going to have to wait here for the rest of eternity?_

“No, I was just waiting for you to finish your bonding moment,” The girl said, raising an eyebrow.

“What bonding moment?” Lance said.

Keith gasped. Lance stifled a laugh. _what do you mean, what bonding moment? we just had a bonding moment!_

“Nope, don’t remember, didn’t happen,” Lance said. “Can we get in, now?”

“Yeah, about that.” The girl’s voice was bored again. “I’m afraid I can’t let you guys through.”

Lance froze.

Keith didn’t have the same reaction. His scythe was back in his hand by now, and he slammed it down on the ground in anger. _what do you mean?!_

“I mean that you guys can’t go through. Lance Mcclain has already chosen the Ancient Greek Underworld. He can’t change his choice.” The girl spoke without regret.

_this is bullshit. you will let us through._

“No can do, boss. He’s stuck here.”

_yes, exactly. boss. i’m your boss, and you will listen to me. open the damn gates._

The girl’s eyes flashed with defiance. “No.”

_you have 5 seconds before i send you to the fields of punishment._

For the first time, the girl looked scared. “You wouldn’t.’

_believe me, i will._

“Why are you so adamant anyway? He’s just a boy,” The girl said. “Just a mortal. You can’t break the rules of the afterlife just for one boy.”

 _he made a mistake, and he shouldn’t have to pay for it._ The next words that entered Lance’s mind were tinged with pain. _he’s just a boy, and i won’t let him suffer for the rest of eternity just because of a simple mistake._

“This is a major overreaction. Elysium is just as wonderful as Christian Heaven. And by my count, he would be going to Elysium anyway. So, what’s the problem?”

_it doesn’t matter. if he wants to go to heaven, that’s where he’s going. open the gates before i lose my patience._

With a heavy sigh of resignation, the girl moved back to allow the gates to slide open. Lance glanced at Keith, but he was already gliding forward without looking back at Lance. Lance followed him, ignoring the stunned girl.

They had been travelling for at least ten minutes before Lance spoke. “Thank you.”

_it’s my job._

“No. Really, thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

Keith glanced at Lance, and Lance _really_ wished he could see Keith’s facial expression. _i meant what i said. you deserve to go where you want to go._

Lance stared at him in shock. “But I said your life was pathetic and miserable.”

Shocking Lance even more, Keith laughed. _that was a first._

The sound was beautiful.

Lance had always thought that if Death had a laugh, it would be dark and ominous. He thought it would be an echo of the screams of the dead, holding all the agony of the people in hell and the people who died too soon. He thought that Death’s laugh would be arrogant, gloating, mocking. A laugh that said, ‘I will never die, but you will’.

But no.

Death’s laugh was beautiful.

_you really think that?_

Blood immediately rushed to Lance’s cheeks. He forgot Keith was reading his thoughts, and he couldn’t backtrack now. “Yes.”

Keith’s voice was now small and embarrassed. _thank you, but i really don’t think so._

“It is beautiful,” Lance found himself saying. Then, because he couldn’t deal with emotional situations, he said, “It’s a shame it belongs to you.”

Keith sighed. _i was so happy until you added that last part._

This wouldn’t do. As awkward as it was to be having this romantically-coded conversation with Death, Lance couldn’t bear the thought of upsetting him. He couldn’t upset Keith after Keith had threatened to send someone to eternal punishment for Lance’s sake. Well, it wasn’t that he couldn’t. It was that he didn’t want to. “I didn’t mean the last part.”

When Keith spoke, Lance could hear the smile in his voice. _i know._

“You really have to stop reading my thoughts.”

_i’ll make a deal with you. you stop trying to start arguments, and i’ll stop reading your thoughts._

“I thought they just rushed towards you?”

_i can temporarily suspend that ability._

“Okay, then. But you have to promise.”

Keith hesitated.

“Promise.”

_i promise._

Lance smiled. Now he could think of whatever he wanted without fear of Keith judging him.

Which meant he could take a moment to imagine what Keith looked like beneath the cloak. If his voice was so attractive, what would the rest of him look like? In all the stories Lance had read and the movies he had watched, Death was always a young, pretty woman. Keith was clearly a man, but he still had to be hot, right?

That lead into another train of thought: Was Keith wearing anything under the cloak? And if he wasn’t….

_uh, lance? i didn’t turn off the ability yet._

Lance covered his face with his hands, his cheeks scarlet. “Fuck.”

Keith sounded embarrassed as well. _uh- anyway. let’s just continue._

They continued on in silence, Lance still burning in embarrassment.

After a while, Lance spoke again. “So, are you wearing anything under the cloak?”

_lance!_

“It’s just a question!”

_well, uh… uh, i’m actually- i’m not actually wearing anything under it. it’s really thick, okay! it’s makes me feel really hot if i wear anything else!_

Lance smirked. “Are you sure you’re not just hot in general?”

Keith made a strange noise – it sounded like a pterodactyl screech. _you can’t just say that!_

“I just did. What’re you going to do about it?”

Lance didn’t know what had happened – he had gone from a blushing wreck to a suave flirter in the span of a few seconds, but he was glad he had regained his confidence. At least this was familiar to him.

The words appeared in Lance’s head as a stutter. _i- shut up and let’s continue. we’re nearly there._

“That’s what she said.”

_i hate you._

“I love you, too,” Lance teased. Keith stopped walking. “What?”

 _it’s nothing._ Keith started walking again. _come on._

“What is it?” Lance asked. Keith was walking faster than before. He was like an ice skater flying across the ice, and Lance was nearly running in an effort to keep up with him. “Keith, wait! What is it?”

Keith stopped walking again.

Lance threw his hands up in frustration. “What is it!”

_it’s just- no one’s said my name before._

Lance’s eyes widened. “Really?”

 _use your logic._ Keith sounded bitter. _who do you think would have said my name?_

“I don’t know. Your mom?”

Keith laughed, but this time it was darker. Almost dangerous. No – not dangerous. Broken. _my mom? i’m death. i don’t have a mom._

“Has no one asked you your name before?”

Keith dropped the scythe and pressed his palms against the spot on the cloak where his eyes would be. _of course not. everyone’s scared of me. who wants to know anything about death? everyone just runs away from me._

Keith’s arms were now at his sides again, but he was shaking.

Lance didn’t know what to say. What do you say when Death breaks down in front of you? “I didn’t.”

_you’re the only one. everyone else, they just run away. they all hate me. even the ones who want to die, the moment they see me, there’s no thank you. there’s no thank you for saving them from their life. they hate me anyway, when they should be hating life. they all hate me._

The last words were almost a sob, and they pierced through Lance’s head.

Instantly, Keith started apologizing. _i’m so sorry, i shouldn’t have put all of that onto you. god, i’m so sorry._

“Don’t apologize.” Without thinking, Lance placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

Though he expected Keith to recoil, Keith just stayed still.

He stayed still, as if he was scared that Lance would be the one to move away.

Slowly, Lance’s fingers trailed down Keith’s arm to rest on his wrist.

And now, Lance’s hand was resting on top of Keith’s.

Keith still didn’t say anything, but he wasn’t shaking anymore.

Lance could hear his quiet breathing.

Carefully, Lance took the final step and threaded his fingers through Keith’s.

They were standing side by side, and they were holding hands.

Lance was holding hands with Death. It felt right.

_thank you._

“No,” Lance said quietly. “Thank you.”

Then they were facing each other.

A human boy with soft hair and freckles, and Death.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

 _lance._ The word was a whisper in Lance’s head. _what are you thinking about?_

Lance’s answer was simple. “You.”

And Keith lowered the hood of his cloak.

The first thought that entered Lance’s mind was that there must be some sort of mistake. This couldn’t be Death.

Keith looked like a normal human boy. No, not normal. His looks were ethereal, almost haunting. He had raven hair and violet eyes, and his skin was far too pale to be human. His lips were perfectly shaped, and for a moment Lance thought of how easy it would be to lean in and kiss them.

No. Lance tore his mind away from the thought of Keith’s lips and let his gaze drift over the rest of Keith’s face. Everything about his face was perfect, and Lance couldn’t help but think of vampires – beautiful to attract their prey. But if Keith was this perfect, Lance didn’t mind being his prey.

He would follow Keith anywhere.

Lance placed his free hand on the side of Keith’s neck. This was real. _Keith_ was real.

No, this couldn’t be real.

This was Death. Death couldn’t be beautiful.

But he was.

All the representations of Death in the media and all the descriptions of Death in poetry, describing Death as beautiful had always seemed crazy to Lance. How could Death be beautiful if he represented the end of beauty? Life was beautiful. Death couldn’t be.

How wrong he was.

“Lance? Are you alright?”

Keith’s words now came out of his mouth, not appearing in Lance’s head anymore. He was speaking like a normal human, and it only made him more real to Lance.

Though Lance always prided himself on being a fast talker, someone who always had something to say, he couldn’t say anything now. He couldn’t do anything but stare at Keith.

Keith seemed to give up on trying to get Lance to say something, so he stared back into Lance’s eyes.

With Keith this close, Lance could see every detail in his eyes. His eyes were a vibrant violet, and in the depths of them Lance could see pain. The pain of seeing suffering souls, carrying the souls of small children, people who died too soon, people who didn’t want to die at all, people who wanted to. Keith had to see every single one of them, and he had to remain silent as those people broke down, screaming and crying for their lives back. For their families back.

But as Keith stared into Lance’s eyes, Lance could see the pain fading away. Slowly, something else filled Keith’s eyes. An expression Lance didn’t understand, an emotion he couldn’t identify. All he could tell was that it wasn’t negative. His face was now peaceful, as if he could fall asleep at any moment.

“What are you thinking about?” Lance said softly.

“You.”

They were closer now, close enough that Lance could feel Keith’s breath on his lips.

Lance closed his eyes.

He felt a gentle pressure on his lips, and he opened his eyes. Keith had pressed his thumb on the corner of Lance’s mouth, still staring at Lance with a tender intensity. It was an oxymoron. _Death_ was an oxymoron.

Then, Keith stepped back. “We should continue. There’s only a very short way left.”

Swallowing the taste of bitter disappointment, Lance nodded.

So, they continued on in silence. Lance couldn’t bring himself to say anything, and even if he could, he had nothing to say anyway. Something had changed between them.

This didn’t make sense. How could Lance feel this way about Death?

Lance shook his head imperceptibly. He needed to stop thinking about this. It would only be a little bit of time before they parted ways, and then Lance would be free for the rest of eternity.

Before Lance had a chance to sort out his thoughts, Keith was stopping him and pointing at a small boat on the river Styx. “We just need to go down there, and then we’ll be in front of the pearly gates.”

Lance nodded and climbed in the boat, sitting on one of the benches. There were a single oar in the boat, and Lance was about to offer to row the boat. However, Keith was already picking up the oar. As he stuck the oar into the water and pushed the boat along the river, Lance watched the water flowing past them.

The water wasn’t exactly flowing. It had a certain quality to it that Lance couldn’t describe. It wasn’t a liquid, but it wasn’t a solid or a gas. It seemed to be moving and staying still at the same time. It was a sludge, but it was thin at the same time. Steam was rising off it, and when Lance stuck his hand over the side of the boat, the steam felt burning hot and freezing cold.

“Careful.”

 “I will be.”

They didn’t say anything after that. Keith rowed in silence while Lance gazed at him, watching the rippling motion of his cloak as he moved the oars. Keith hadn’t put his hood back up, so Lance watched his face, watching as his face contorted with tiredness.

“Do you want me to row for a bit?”

“I’m fine. You just relax. You must be tired.”

Keith was right. Lance must be tired. Could dead people feel tired?

“Hey, Keith? How can dead people feel tired?”

Keith glanced at him. “You’re still freshly dead. You still have a few human characteristics left. You must be hungry as well. Later, when you’ve been dead for longer, you won’t feel exhaustion or hunger anymore.”

“Wait, so I can’t eat anymore?” Lance would throw a tantrum if he never got to eat garlic knots again.

“You can eat for the pleasure of it, but you won’t feel hungry.”

“Okay.”

Silence.

Then- “If you don’t mind, can I ask you something?”

“It depends on what the question is.”

“Do you have any good stories?”

Keith’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Stories?”

“Yeah, stories. You know, like Death in the Book Thief. Have you read that book?”

“I have, actually.”

“So, any stories?”

Keith thought for a moment. “I have one. It’s a bedtime story, though. It’s not real.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“Okay.”

_One day, a little girl was walking through the woods. She needed to get to the other side, but she had a secret. She was dead, and was simply a spirit. Because of this, she couldn’t trust anyone, or they would send her back to the underworld. As she walked, she came across a whispering oak tree._

_“I am the oak tree. Come to me, and I will give you shelter.” It whispered. She shook her head._

_“I’m sorry, but I cannot trust anyone.” Passing the oak tree, she continued her path. A while later, she came across a wolf._

_“I am the wolf. Come to me, and I will bring you food.” It insisted. She shook her head._

_“I’m sorry, but I cannot trust anyone.” She pushed past the wolf, and continued her path. She walked until a figure came out in front of her, wearing a black hood. They pushed their hood off to reveal a young boy._

_“I have already been offered food and shelter, but I had to turn them down. I cannot trust anyone, not even one of my own kind.” The little dead girl said automatically. The boy smiled._

_“I can’t offer you anything of that sort. All I have to offer you is my love.” She hesitated. She’d been wandering for so long, and nobody had ever offered her their love. So, she accepted. Because he made her feel alive. She wasn’t alone anymore. But she forgot that she had to get out of the woods by nightfall. They wandered together in the endless woods for days, for weeks, until one day, she sat him down._

_“My love, I have to tell you something.” She whispered._

_“What is it, darling?” The boy asked._

_The little dead girl took a deep breath. “I’m not alive. I snuck to the aboveground from the underworld because I wanted to see light, because I wanted to feel the sun and smell flowers. I can’t trust anyone, but I can trust you. I came here to see the sun, but you’re the sun in my lonely life. I’m just a little dead girl, but you make me feel alive.” The boy smiled. The same smile he had when they first met._

_“My love, there’s something you need to know too.” He said._

_“What is it?”_

_The boy smiled yet again. “I always knew.” And he pulled a knife out from his cloak and pushed it in her ribs. The little dead girl gasped, as her ethereal essence started flowing out of the wound and sinking through the ground back to the underworld. As she shuddered with her last breath, he bent down and put his lips to her ear. “You shouldn’t have trusted me, little dead girl.”_

After the story, Lance was silent.

Then, he said, “That’s really depressing.”

Keith shrugged. “I heard it when I was little.”

“Were you ever little?”

“It’s actually kind of strange. I don’t think I was ever a baby, but I do distinctly remember a childhood. I just remember hearing this story, and someone telling me to never trust anyone. But I don’t remember who told me the story.”

“It’s really depressing,” Lance said again.

“I guess so.”

 “You were taught to never trust anyone?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

They were both quiet.

“Is there anyone you trust?”

“No.”

Silence.

Silence.

“Not even me?”

Silence.

Silence.

Lance worried he had gone too far.

Silence.

“I do.”

“What?”

“I trust you.”

Silence.

“We barely know each other,” Lance said.

“No, you barely know me. I know everything about you.”

 “Oh. Right.”

Silence.

“And what do you think about me?”

Keith closed his eyes. Lance hoped he wouldn’t row them into a wall, but the boat continued in a straight path. “I think…”

“What?”

Keith opened his eyes and pointed in front of them. They had landed on shore. “We’re here.”

Keith held out his hand for Lance to take, and Lance took his hand, pulling himself to his feet. As they walked onto shore, Lance still didn’t let go of his hand.

The gates in front of them were huge.

The famed Pearly Gates.

They were just as grand and magnificent as Lance had imagined. They were enormous, white, and were locked with a pair of golden locks. Behind them was a giant, white staircase leading upwards. The light was blinding, and Lance used his free hand to shield his eyes. The light was blinding and golden.

Standing at the top of the staircase was a tall figure. The light was surrounding them, too bright to look at, but Lance could tell that the figure was smiling.

“You can go.”

Lance looked at Keith. Keith’s cheeks were wet, and Lance could only stare at him in shock.

“Why are you staring at me?” Keith said, but his words were choked. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed them. “Go.”

Lance couldn’t leave Keith like this.

“Lance, seriously. Just go.” With each passing second, Keith looked worse. He was falling apart. “Just go!”

Lance could feel his own eyes stinging, but he had to go. He wanted to say something that would make this better, but there was nothing. He had to go. “Goodbye, Keith.”

Keith turned away, covering his face.

There was a horrible lump in Lance’s throat as he walked towards the gates. The gates slid open.

He stepped onto the staircase. The ground was steady and smooth, but there was only one thing he could think about as he walked up the stairs.

Just as he was at the top and he was close enough to the figure that he could see their face, he changed his mind.

“Sorry, I have to go,” Lance said, and he began running back down the stairs. He was going so fast he was sure he would trip and fall, but he made it to the bottom without falling and he ran back to the river. “Keith, wait!”

Keith turned back to the gates to see Lance running towards him, an exhilarated expression on his face.

“I changed my mind,” Lance said, trying to regain his breath.

And still breathless, he threw his arms around Keith and kissed him.

Keith froze beneath him at first, but Lance didn’t have time to wonder if he made a mistake before Keith was kissing him back, desperate and passionate. Keith’s lips were as cold as the rest of him, but Lance was warm enough for the both of them and, to Keith, holding Lance in his arms was like holding the sun. Lance was forceful enough that Keith nearly fell into the river, and just as Lance realized, it was too late and they both crashed into the river.

They were sinking to the bottom, but Lance kicked off the riverbed and pushed himself up to the surface. Keith was already there, gasping for air and spitting out water, his hair plastered to his face.

They looked at each other, and both burst out laughing. Lance swam closer to Keith and kissed him again, pushing his wet hair off his forehead. They were clinging to each other as if they would die if they didn’t, but they were already dead, and nothing could tear them apart now.

“I love you,” Keith said against Lance’s mouth, and Lance’s fingers tightened in Keith’s hair.

“I’m going to love you someday,” Lance said back to him, and Keith broke into a smile. They were more smiling against each other’s lips now rather than kissing, their teeth pressed together almost painfully.

“I’ll be waiting for it,” Keith said. “I’ll wait for you.”

“You already have me,” Lance said. “Just wait for the words.”

“I will,” Keith said, and then they were kissing again.

-

**Epilogue**

The air surrounding Pidge was cold, and she shivered. It had been decades since she was young enough to not mind the cold, but now her old, aching body couldn’t deal with the cold.

However, after a minute or two, she could feel her body transforming back to its youthful self. She smiled as she felt her hair cascading back to her waist and the pain in her joints fading away.

She was dead, and she was young again.

She seemed to be in some sort of train station, and there were tunnels in every direction. They all had signs above them:

_Reincarnation._

_Ancient Greek Underworld._

_Christian Heaven._

_Svarga Loka._

_Islamic Jannah._

Pidge didn’t know what to do. She was dead, but she didn’t know where she was. Where did she have to go?

Suddenly, two figures materialized in front of her.

One of them was wearing a black cloak and carrying a scythe, and the other one was-

“Lance!” She screeched, throwing her arms around him and hugging him hard. He hugged her back tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. “Oh, God, Lance, I missed you so so much.”

Then, she pulled back, and glared at him. “How could you leave us so soon?”

“I’m sorry,” Lance said softly. “but you know it wasn’t my choice.”

“I know,” Pidge said, tears welling up in her eyes. “Oh, Lance. I was the last one. Hunk, Allura, Shiro, Matt – they’re all already here. And I missed you so much.”

She hugged him again. “You complete asshole. I told you to pay more attention in your driving classes.”

“It wasn’t me, though,” Lance pointed out, “It was that other guy who-”

“I know, I know,” Pidge interrupted, “But still. I hope that guy went to hell.”

The cloaked figure behind Pidge spoke, but the words appeared in Pidge’s head. _i personally made sure of it._

“Who are you?” Pidge asked. Then, she mentally face-palmed. “Never mind.”

The Grim Reaper extended a hand from beneath his cloak. _i’m keith._

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Keith?”

The Grim Reaper groaned. _not you, too._

Lance was already laughing. “See, I told you!”

_shut up._

“Hey, why is Death telling you to shut up?” Pidge said, crossing her arms. “Lay off, asshole.”

The Grim Reaper laughed, and Lance beamed. “Yeah, about that. Pidgeon, let me introduce you to my husband, Keith.”

Pidge’s mouth dropped open. “Husband?”

Lance nodded, still beaming, and the Grim Reaper/Keith was still laughing, the sound echoing through her head.

In awe, Pidge slowly shook her head. “I leave you alone for seventy-two years and you get married to Death. I can’t believe this. You’re joking, right?”

Lance shook his head and held up his hand. A golden ring was perched on his ring finger.

“Have you ever even seen his face?” Pidge asked, unable to believe it. Lance married Death?!

In response, The Grim Reaper/Keith lowered his hood. He looked like an ordinary human man, though Pidge did have to admit that he was hotter than average.

Lance grinned. “Trust me, I’ve seen _every_ part of him.”

Keith’s face turned red and Pidge covered her ears. “Ew, I don’t need to hear that!”

Lance was still grinning, and he put his arm around Keith’s waist. “Trust me, you’ll love Keith. He’s the most sarcastic little shit I’ve ever met. You two will kick it off.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. So, this was her life now. Well, not really her life. Her afterlife?

Lance motioned towards the tunnel which read _Mixed._ “Come on. The others are waiting for you.”

Pidge glanced towards the _Christian Heaven_ tunnel.

Lance followed her gaze. “Oh! Unless you want to go to Heaven?”

“I don’t understand,” Pidge said, furrowing her eyebrows.

“I’ll explain later,” Keith said. Now, she could hear his voice normally. “Mixed is for the people who have friends or family in different afterlives than them, but they still want to see each other. See, when you choose a tunnel, you can’t change your mind. Mixed is kind of a mix of all the afterlives. Except reincarnation, of course.”

Pidge shook his head. “This is pretty complicated.”

“I can explain it later,” Keith offered again, “but for now, just pick a single tunnel.”

Pidge nodded, and walked towards _Mixed._ “Are the others really there?”

Lance smiled. “They sure are. Keith and I have a few other people to welcome, but I’ll see you guys later, alright?”

Pidge found herself smiling too. “Okay.” Just as she started walking towards _Mixed,_ she stopped and turned back to Lance and Keith. Their heads were together and they were whispering quietly. Pidge could see Lance mouth three words. Just three words, and Keith said them right back.

“Lance?”

Lance looked at her. “Yeah?”

“Are you happy?”

Lance looked back at Keith, smiling at him warmly. His eyes were full of affection and love. “I am.”

Pidge could see that he was telling the truth. Though she found it creepy that Lance was married to Death, she was willing to get to know Keith. She had always prided herself on being open-minded, and she was sure she would like Keith once she got to know him. She just had to give him a chance. “Okay.” She looked at Keith and smiled. “I’m excited to get to know you, Keith.”

“I already know everything about you. You’re a good person,” Keith said.

Pidge looked at Lance, waiting for an explanation.

“It’s a long story,” Lance said awkwardly. “Babe, didn’t we talk about this?”

Keith sighed. “Yeah.”

Pidge shook her head. “Never mind. Just tell me later, alright? I need to see Hunk.”

As soon as Pidge walked through the tunnel and disappeared out of sight, Lance turned to Keith, his hands still on Keith’s waist. Though he had been looking into Keith’s eyes for over seventy years, Lance still never tired of them. And though so much time had passed, his heart still raced whenever he saw Keith, and butterflies still filled his stomach.

Lance had told Keith that he loved him after a year of dating, and the memory of Keith’s thrilled reaction was always enough to make Lance smile. Though Lance had thought, in the beginning, that Keith was extremely shy, he was only partially correct. Keith was shy with strangers, but with Lance, he was surprisingly dominant.

Dominant. The word brought… certain memories to Lance’s mind that made him blush, and he quickly changed his train of thought. Though Lance had always expected that he would be the one to propose, in the end, it turned out to be Keith.

Lance had been planning a fancy, elaborate proposal that involved a skeleton band, the first place they met, and pushing Keith into the river Styx, but Keith had beaten him to it. And it was simple – no music, no special place, no heartfelt speech – just two boys in love and a question.

And seventy years later, Lance was still in love.

“What are you thinking about?” Keith murmured.

Lance leaned in and kissed him. “You.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :) I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
